Interview 4: Conducted Friday, 3/3, at 1pm
*** Recording taken, no pictures included.
Name: Professor Jenny Martin
Gender: Female Age: 37 Years Old
Appearance: I did not ask to take her photo. Professor Martin has long, blonde hair, glasses. Looks very put together in her dress – was wearing dress pants and a grey blazer.
Her office has a beautiful wooden desk, and bookshelves lining the entire room filled with books.
Occupation: She teaches PLS at the University of Notre Dame, and specializes in Theology.
Her Story:
She has lived in South Bend since 2005, and she came her for Graduate School in 2012, and then was employed by Notre Dame to teach PLS. Initially from Georgia. She is married, and her husband teaches as well (he used to teach at St. Joe).
She has three children. A 9-year-old boy in the 4th grade, a 7-year-old boy in the 1st grade, and a 5-year-old girl in preschool.
Where do her kids go to school? Has she thought about their schooling?
– Her children used to attend Marquette Montessori school, and it was nice in theory.
o Montessori schools allow the students to assign themselves work, and self-regulate. This system was great for one of her kids, but the others need structure, and she believes in a more traditional teaching role (considering she is a teacher).
– So, she transitioned them to St. Joe, and believes that they will continue into St. Joe High School.
o This was mostly because…
o Her husband used to teach at St. Joe, so they know teachers and people there. She felt like they had a personal connection to the school.
o She likes the focus on Catholic Formation
o St. Joe is their home parish
o It is only 15 minutes from their house (although there are closer High Schools).
– At their ages, her kids already pretty much know that they are going to St. Joe for HS.
o Her sons have visited for a Cub Scouts trip, and they’re comfortable there.
What is important in looking at schools?
– The academic element is essential, and the structure for her kids to learn.
– The Catholic element was nice, but not entirely necessary
– Arts are incredibly important to her, and so were athletics in the decision.
o Two of her children are highly artistic, and they are all athletic.
– She already knows that her children will attend college one day.
– Physical appearance did not really play in to the decision
– Her children definitely have a say in their school decision
She talks to other parents about education a lot.
– Public schools are a common topic of conversation among her and her friends,
– They think there is an unusual amount of school switching in South Bend.
– She has heard of different kids from one family attending different schools.
– Her perception of Clay is vaguely positive, she thinks it is a good public school
o a decent number of students from St. Joe grade school move on to Clay
– School Recommendations and Word of Mouth are very powerful,
o Someone messaged her on Facebook the other day asking for school recommendations.